Three CKNB Church Plants Recognized at REACH Evangelism Conference

Khum & Kandi Hauzel of Cross Culture Church recognized as new church plant at KBC REACH Conference

Yaya Mulonda - The Holy Church of our Lord Jesus Christ was also recognized as a new church plant

John Livingston - Izumi Community Church, recognized at REACH Conference

Louisville, Ky. — Three new church plants connected with the Central Kentucky Network of Baptists (CKNB) were recognized and celebrated during the 2026 Kentucky Baptist Convention REACH Evangelism & Missions Conference, highlighting the growing international church planting movement across central Kentucky.

The annual REACH Conference gathers pastors, ministry leaders, and church members from across the Commonwealth to focus on evangelism, missions, and church multiplication. The event encourages churches to renew their commitment to sharing the gospel and planting new congregations to reach communities for Christ.

During the conference, leaders celebrated new church plants throughout Kentucky, including three congregations launched through partnerships with CKNB churches.

Cross Culture Church, led by Pastor Khum Hauzel, was sent out by The Mission Church. The congregation seeks to reach people from a variety of cultural backgrounds, reflecting the increasingly diverse communities of central Kentucky. Its ministry emphasizes unity in Christ while sharing the gospel across cultural and language barriers.

Izumi Community Church, led by Pastor John Livingston, was sent by Porter Memorial Baptist Church. The church focuses on building relationships with international residents and families, providing a welcoming spiritual home while introducing many to the message of Jesus Christ.

The Holy Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ, led by Pastor Yaya Mulonda, was sent by Trinity Baptist Church of Lexington. The church is reaching people from African and other international communities, demonstrating how the gospel brings together believers from many nations.

The recognition of these church plants at the REACH Conference highlights a broader vision among Kentucky Baptists to plant churches that reach people from every nation and culture. As international populations continue to grow across the state, local congregations are increasingly partnering to start churches that can minister effectively within those communities.

CKNB leaders say these new churches are an example of how established congregations can send leaders and resources to expand the gospel’s reach.

“These church plants reflect the global mission field that now exists right here in Kentucky,” one CKNB leader said. “God is bringing people from many nations to our communities, and these churches are helping ensure they have an opportunity to hear the gospel in ways that connect with their cultures and languages.”

Church leaders are asking believers across Kentucky to pray for these new congregations as they take root in their communities. Prayer is requested for spiritual growth, new disciples, and continued partnerships that will strengthen their ministries.

Support is also needed through encouragement, collaboration, and resources as these young churches continue building gospel-centered communities.

The recognition at REACH served as both a celebration and a reminder that the work of church planting remains vital. Through partnerships between sending churches and new leaders, the gospel continues to spread to new people groups across central Kentucky.

As these congregations grow, CKNB leaders hope they will inspire even more churches to participate in the mission of planting churches and reaching the nations—both locally and globally—with the message of Jesus Christ.